Journals

The reader is reminded that there was almost no instruction as to the dress of post-Reformation clergy. The wearing of a black gown seems to have been carried on from medieval times and both Knox and Calvin were thus attired. James IV issued a proclamation in 1610 ordering all ministers to wear a gown when officiating and this seems not to have been found controversial.

Inevitably the turmoil which ensued during the course of the two periods of Episcopacy in the 17th century extended well into the area of ecclesiastical dress, though when the Kirk entered into a much more influence amongst their people if they wore “something of an ecclesiastical habit.” In 1696 the Synod of Dumfries passed an act recommending the brethren to adopt the earlier custom of black gowns and bands adding that they should “study gravity in their apparel and deportment in every manner of way.” McMillan notes that practice throughout the country varied enormously though he quotes Patrick Walker, a Covenanter commenting that there were many “toom” pulpits in Scotland i.e. the gown did not necessarily ‘make’ the minister.

The article contains a very rich vein of illustrations and quotations gathered by the author as the arguments for and against robes and special clothing flourished in this so very disputatious period of Scottish church history. The interested reader may peruse these at leisure while the serious student will be able to follow up a wealth of information.

There are so many churches now in which the Creeds are never heard other than at Presbytery services of ordination and induction. Falconer simply tells the story of the introduction and use of the Apostles’ Creed at every service of worship in one Scottish parish (Trinity Coatdyke) in the early years of the 20th century during the ministry of his predecessor there. It was used not only in worship but in every conceivable area of the congregation’s life. In addition to telling the story, Falconer includes extracts from written submissions given to him by members of the congregation which amply illustrate the significance of the Creed for them and for the development of their faith. It is a spare but informative and deeply appreciative piece of writing.

This article is a response by the Rev Dr W D Maxwell to the book by Dom Gregory Dix, a Benedictine Anglican Monk who had a considerable influence on revisions to Anglican liturgy in the mid 20th century. That Maxwell’s own, probably unsurpassed, “Outline of Christian Worship had been published just ten years earlier gives added interest.

Maxwell is warm in his praise and appreciation of the work, but he is often highly critical and one feels might have written “could have done better” at the foot of the opus. Some of his comments refer to the lack of footnotes and incomplete indexing, but graver still for a work of such importance, he also cites arguments set down carelessly and with the lack of supporting evidence. Inevitably perhaps, some of Maxwell’s misgivings arise from conflicting positions held by Scottish Presbyterian and Anglican liturgists, but he also questions Dix’s interpretation of the writings of some of the Reformers, notably Calvin. In spite of all his reservations, Maxwell is still generous towards Dix’s scholarship in what amounts to a lengthy review. One has to remember it is written across a considerable Scottish/English divide, and the article would be of considerable use to the serious student. Maxwell in no way ‘damns with faint praise’, but he does urge the reader not to allow his gratitude to dull his critical faculties.

This is an account (including three photographs) of the foundation and subsequent development of St Bride’s Church in Sanquhar by the then minister of the charge. There had been an ecclesiastical building on the site for many centuries. Plans for a new building had been prepared by Macgregor Chalmers but the project was shelved at the outbreak of the 1914/18 war. After many delays, the renovation work was begun in 1930 with new plans prepared by Jeffrey Waddell but incorporating some of Chalmers’ original ideas, the project being made possible by a number of grants, gifts, and legacies. The article contains quite detailed descriptions of the work undertaken including the windows, interior furnishings, and historical artefacts.

It might be helpful to be able to read this article in conjunction with the original article by Maxwell [The Annual No. 17, 1947] to which this is a response. The tenor of the article might come as a gentle surprise to those of us who live in areas where there is no longer a communion season, and who have come to value the many opportunities today to share in the sacrament of Holy Communion at conferences, Kirk Session meetings and informal church gatherings.Kilpatrick traces the sacrament back to its earliest roots in the Passover, and as a meal which celebrates not only the Resurrection but also the whole passion of Christ. Though mindful that the experience of the evening meal in the house at Emmaus may well be understood as the first celebration of Holy Communion, he still feels it important to make a strong case against any move to evening communion services which are anything other than provision for those who find it impossible to attend in the morning. He does cite the custom of a ‘first table’ in the early hours of the morning (even 3am or 4am) for servants who would be unable to attend later by reason of their domestic duties!